This invention relates generally to the restraint of cargo and deals more particularly with a shoring beam which prevents cargo from shifting in a truck body.
Various types of cargo restraints have been used for restraining the loads which are carried in large over the road trucks. The cargo restraints may serve as bulkheads which separate the cargo in one section of the truck from the cargo in other sections. If the truck is only partly full, the cargo restraints extend across the back of the part of the truck that contains the cargo in order to restrain it against movement into the vacant area of the truck. When boxes or other containers are stacked in the truck, it is necessary to provide a restraint across the upper boxes to prevent them from falling.
Among the types of devices that have been used to restrain cargo are cargo bars of which there are two general types currently in use. One type carries pads on its opposite ends which are tightened against the opposite side walls of the truck when the bar is expanded. The other type of cargo bar that is widely used includes specially shaped end fittings that mate with tracks which are mounted on the opposite side walls of the truck. The present invention is directed to a shoring bar which is used with a track system.
Typically, the shoring bars that are used with tracks include a center tube and two smaller tubes or rods which extend out of the opposite ends of the main tube. One rod is spring loaded to retain special fittings on opposite ends of the bar in slots which are formed in the tracks. The rod on the opposite end of the device is usually provided with plural openings which are pinned to the main tube to provide adjustability in the length of the bar so that different truck widths can be accommodated. This type of bar has a relatively complicated construction and relies entirely on spring force to maintain it in place. The spring force is not always sufficient to prevent the bar from being dislodged by the loads applied by the cargo, particularly if the loads are rather substantial due to quick stops or changes of direction of the vehicle.
The present invention is directed to an improved shoring beam which may be locked in place more securely than other shoring bars. In accordance with the invention, a relatively short tube is fitted telescopically on a longer tube. The short tube carries an internal screw which extends through a nut mounted within the larger tube. Consequently, the two tubes can be rotated relative to one another to extend and retract the tubes longitudinally, thus varying the overall length of the tube assembly. The outer end of the long tube has a tip fitting which is closely received in the track opening on one side of the truck body. The other end of the short tube has a cylindrical peg on its end which fits in and yet is able to turn in the corresponding track opening on the opposite side of the truck. Thus, the short tube can be turned even after the two fittings have entered the track openings, and the shoring beam can be expanded between the opposing tracks so tightly that it is able to withstand even the heaviest loads that are applied to it in service.
specially mounted hoops may be provided on the shoring beam as an option which enhances its ability to restrain boxes and other small items of cargo. Each hoop has one end fixed to the long tube and the other end fixed to a sleeve which is fitted loosely on the shorter tube. This construction permits the hoops to be positioned against the cargo, and the short tube can then be turned to tightly wedge the shoring beam in place without disturbing the position of the hoops, since the short tube is able to turn within the sleeve to avoid turning the hoops.